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State Department Keeps Report Under Wraps
Jason Lee Miller
Staff Writer
2005-04-28
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On the same day that the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) released a report indicating that the number of terrorist attacks tripled in 2004, the US Dept. of State reported that global terrorism remained a "significant threat." .
And then, they put the report back into their pockets
The report gave an overview of worldwide terrorist attacks last year and found that despite efforts in the Middle East and at home, terrorism "continued to pose a significant threat to the United States and its partners."
The 129-page report also said, "The primary terrorist threat to the United States in 2004 continued to be al Qaeda, which remained intent on attacking the U.S. homeland as well as U.S. interests abroad."
It also said that 2004 "was marked by progress in decreasing the threat from states that sponsor terrorism."
Sparking controversy, the State Dept. will not release the actual figures, which they have done in the past.
In the report by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), though admitting 2003's report likely to be inaccurate, said that in 2004, there were 651 terrorist attacks worldwide killing 1,907 people.
The apparent inaccuracy of the 2003 report, which suggested only 175 attacks occurred, is attributed to the size of the staff conducting and auditing the report.
This year, ten full-time analysts prepared the report compared to three part-time analysts in 2003.
"An increased level of effort allowed a much deeper review of far more information," NCTC acting director John Brennan said. He added that the larger staff as well as developments in Iraq were the primary reasons for the increase in terrorist attack reports.
About the Author:
Jason is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He covers business, technology, and security issues.
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